Hitch for road graders and the like



Jan. 23, 1940; J. MARKOE 2,

HITCH FOR ROAD GR'ADERS AND THE LIKE- I Filed Oct. 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jar/ 115 Jan. 23, 1940. J M K 2,188,188

HITCH FOR ROAD GRADERS AND THE LIKE aeeaee prime mover, such as a Patented Jan. 23, 1940 PATENT OFFICE HITCH FOR ROAD GRADERS AND THE LIKE James Markoe, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Foote Bros. Gear and Machine Corporation, 111., a. corporation of Delaware Chicago,

Application October 28, 1937, Serial No. 171,425 2 Claims. ((1280-3310) I Objects and advantages of the invention other The present invention relates to hitches for road graders and the like.

, The primary object of the invention is the provision of a hitch which may be attached to a truck or tractor, and which permits of controlled lateral movement of a drawn implement which may be a road grader or other device.

. The invention as herein described and illustrated is applied to a road grader. It is apparent, however, that it may be applied to other instrumentalities with equal effectiveness.

In; the construction and maintenance of roads the prime mover is generally a truck ortractor which pulls a grader or other device which has well known functions. Heretofore the hitch or connection between the prime mover and the grader has generally been of such character that lateral movement of the grader with respect to the surface being graded is controlled by lateral movement of the prime mover and such endwise movement of the grader blade as is permissible in the construction of such machines. u-Such arrangement of the grader and its source of power has a number of disadvantages. For instance, itis generally desirable that when the grader is being used to grade the shoulder of a concrete highway that the prime mover operate upon the concrete and the grader is so connected to the prime mover as to be ofiset relative thereto so that it will operate upon the shoulder of the road. Since there are obstructions along the shoulders, such as bridges, culverts and the like, it is necessary with the arrangement just described thatthe prime mover move beyond the center of the concrete so as to permit the blade of the scraper to clear such obstructions as may be present along the shoulder. Except on very wide roads the equipment blocks the road completely thus creating a dangerous situation.

Furthermore, since the shoulder of the road varies in width it is desirable, from an operating standpoint, to be able to shift the relative position of the grader and the prime mover easily and to any desired amount without the necessity of disengaging the grader from the prime mover. This feature, which is made possible by the present invention, is not only important in shoulder grading but in other forms of grading and as applied to various instrumentalities used in the construction and maintenance of roads such, for example, as snow plows.

For purposes of illustration there is shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification a preferred form of the invention.

which pass through the spacing members l4.

angle member I3. is of unusual shape in that the than those above set forth will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that the invention is not to be unnecessarily limited by the specification and drawings, its true scope being defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

, Fig.. l is a View in side portion of a prime mover, schematic diagram of a grader and in detail the preferred embodiment of the hitch;

Fig. 2 is a schematic top plan view of a prime mover and grader, the position of the grader being shown for normal operation in full lines and in dotted lines when it must pass an obstruction;

Fig. 3 isa detailed view of the hitch member proper taken in side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the hitch;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. In the drawings the reference character H indicates the prime mover, such as a tractor or truck, theframe of which is indicated by the reference character l2. frame is an angle member l3 which is spaced from the frame l2 by a plurality of spacing members l4 and secured to the frame l2 by the bolts l5 The bottom arm l6 thereof is bent near the outer edge at an obtuse angle to provide an upwardly projecting portion H, as is apparent from Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.

The portion ll of the vided with a plurality of slightly elongated holes or slots l8 which are adapted to engage the teeth IQ of the spur pinion 20 as shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. The grader or other drawn instrumentality is slidably connected to the angle member l3 by means of a bracket 2| which has secured to it extensions 22 and 23 that engage the angle member l3. The extension 22 is shaped to conform to the bottom portions l6 and ll of the angle member and is provided at its extreme end with a block 24 that engages the upstanding portion of the angle member. The extension 23 is of substantially the same shape as the extension 22 and is provided at its extreme end with a block 25 which engages the angle member l3 and a stop block 26 which engages the opposite face of the angle member.

It will be apparent from the preceding paragraph that the bracket 2| and its extension memelevation showing a angle member I3 i s pro- Attached to the back of the pinion and since the bracket 2| bers so encompass and engage the angle member that when pulling force is applied to the angle member it will be transmitted to bracket 2| and due to the shape of the extension 22 in relation to the portions l6 and ll of the angle member and the presence of the stop 26 forward move-. ment of the bracket 2| relative to the angle member I3 is prevented. Lateral relative movement between the angle member and the bracket is easily accomplished, however, the bracketriding upon the angle member.

The bracket 2| is connected to the implement being drawn through the swivel connection 21 which includes the clevises 28 and- 29 the latter permitting of such rotary misalignment as may of necessity take place between the drawn implement and the prime mover. The clevisesv 28 and 29 merely consist of bifurcating members which are secured in place and permitted to. pivot about the pins 33 and 3| respectively, the latter pin passing through a hole in the bracket 2 I.

Relative lateral movement between the bracket and the angle member is accomplished through means of the pinion 20 and its connecting shaft members which are rotated by the hand wheel 32 as shown in Fig. 1. The connecting shaft members include a universal 33 which has attached to it the shaft 34, the opposite end ofwhich shaft is attached to the universal 35. The universal 35 is driven by the shaft 36 on the other end of which shaft is mounted the hand wheel 32; It will be apparent that upon rotation of the hand wheel 32 rotary movement is imparted to the and its teeth engage with the holes l8 of the angle member the relativelateral positions of the angle member and the bracket may be conveniently and readily-changed, thereby shifting the relative position of the drawnimplem'ent to the prime mover. 4 I

Since it is desirable, except during time o'f adjustment, that the prime mover and the drawn instrument be held in predetermined position a locking pin 31 is provided as shown in Figs; 1;

12, 3 and 4. The locking pin 3! is slidably mounted in the bracket 2| and is controlled by the bell crank lever 38 which is pivoted'to the bracket 2 L Connection between the-bell crank lever and the pin 3'! is made through pin 39 which projects from the pin 37 and passes through an elongated ;opening 40 in the lower leg of the bell crank lever 38. The pin 31 is'of such shape as to pass through the openings H8 in the anglemember and thence into an opening 4| in the bracket thus locking bracket and angle member against relative movement..

pinion 20 is mounted in the The pin 3'! is moved into and out of locking position through means of the bell crank lever 33 and the connecting links 42 and 43, shown in Fi 3, and the link 44 shown in Fig. 1. The link 4 ends in a handle member 45. The linkage 42, 43 and 44 is held in position by suitable supporting members 46 and 41.

Movement of the link 44 endwise through operation of the handle causes the pin 3'! to be raised or lowered at the will of the operator. When it is desired to shift the position of the drawn implement relative to the prime mover the pin 31' is disengaged from looking position by pulling the handlemember 45 toward the operator; the hand Wheel 32 may then be rotated to adjust the; position of the bracket on the angle member. When the desired relationship has been established thelooking' pin is then dropped into place by forward movement of the handle 45.

It will be apparent that while the hitch mechanism is shown as being controlled from the drawn implement that should it be desirable that the same be controlled from the prime mover it will merely be necessary to change the arrangement of the linkage and universals in an obvious manner so that they may be operated from the prime mover.

I claim:

' 1. A hitch of the character described comprising an angle member, one arm of said angle member having a portion thereof bent at an obtuse angle, regularly spaced openings in the last mentioned portion of said arm, a bracket slidably mounted on said angle' member, means for moving said bracket relative to said angle member and'means for holding said angle member and said bracket in predetermined positions, the last mentioned means comprising. a pin mounted on one of said members and capable of being passed through a hole in one'of said members and into 'as't'op opening in the other of said members.

2 A hitch of'th'e character described comprising a fixed member, a portion projecting from said fixed member at an'-;obtuse-an'g-le thereto and having regularly spaced openings therein; a bracket slidably mounted on said fixed member, means for moving said" bracket relative to said fi-xe'd member; said means comprising a gear mounted' -at' right-angles said projecting por non, the teeth of said gear extending into said openings, means for driving said gear and a swivel joint secured to said slidable member adapted to be' dire'ctly connected to theframe of an imple ment beingdra'wn. r

' JAMES MARKOE. 

